The University of Pittsburgh has received a significant financial boost of $53.5 million from the Orland Bethel Family Foundation, aimed at enhancing the institution’s orthopedics research capabilities. This latest gift is part of a broader commitment that totals nearly $100 million to establish and expand the Orland Bethel Family Musculoskeletal Research Center (BMRC). The announcement was made on March 6, 2024, and underscores the foundation’s ongoing support for pioneering medical research.
The BMRC began operations in 2024 following an earlier donation from the foundation. The recent funding will not only facilitate the growth of the center but also help translate research efforts into market-ready products and treatments targeting various musculoskeletal conditions. According to Anantha Shekhar, senior vice chancellor for health sciences at Pitt, this gift will transform the BMRC into a leader in both research and training, while also serving as a catalyst for economic development in the region.
In addition to supporting the research center’s expansion, the gift will create three new endowed professor positions and establish an award program for mid-career researchers. It is also expected to enhance recruitment and retention efforts for BMRC staff and leadership. The center focuses on a wide array of musculoskeletal disorders, including osteoporosis, degenerative arthritis, and spinal disorders.
This latest contribution marks the third major donation from the Orland Bethel Family Foundation to the University of Pittsburgh. In 2023, the foundation contributed $25 million to establish the BMRC and an additional $18.5 million to launch the center’s biobank. The current funding will facilitate the expansion of this biobank, which has already collected 12,000 specimens from 350 patients. This resource is essential for advancing research into diseases and enhancing personalized medicine approaches.
Orland Bethel, the founder of Hillandale Farms, a major U.S. egg producer, has a personal connection to the research center. He underwent treatment for spinal stenosis at UPMC, which significantly improved his quality of life. Bethel expressed his gratitude, stating, “When Dr. Lee and the others took over my care nearly a decade ago, it transformed my life and gave me new hope. I see they are doing the same thing for others with support from my family’s foundation.”
The foundation’s contributions position it among the largest donors in the university’s history. Dr. Joon Lee, an orthopedic surgeon at UPMC who treated Bethel, noted that the foundation’s generosity has the potential to place Pitt in the same conversation as other prominent philanthropic families in Pittsburgh, such as the Mellons and the Hillmans.
The BMRC’s biobank is set to enhance its research capabilities further, as it plans to develop a comprehensive database that will connect Pitt’s various biobanks. This initiative aims to create a searchable online database of tissue samples, allowing outside researchers to benefit from the biobank’s resources.
Moving forward, the BMRC is entering a new phase that focuses on commercializing its research outcomes. “To translate research and data into something that is really meaningful for the public, you need to engage pharmaceutical companies or commercial entities,” Dr. Lee explained. The foundation’s recent gift will support the creation of a risk capital fund dedicated to investing in early-stage innovations with high potential, aimed at streamlining the path from research to market.
Additionally, the relocation of seven of the BMRC’s eleven labs to a new 25,000-square-foot facility in Pitt’s biomedical science tower will enhance research capabilities. This new space will also feature a state-of-the-art surgical training suite for UPMC’s orthopedic surgery residents.
Both Bethel and Dr. Lee expressed enthusiasm about the future impact of the BMRC’s work, emphasizing the potential for developing personalized care strategies that could significantly improve patient outcomes. “They’re going to have people living longer, they’re going to have it to where they’re able to enjoy their lives,” Bethel remarked. “That would be the greatest thing to have ever been a part of.”
Through this substantial investment and ongoing support, the University of Pittsburgh is poised to become a leader in musculoskeletal research, with the potential to advance both medical science and the local economy.
